In my new role in Communications and Member Care, I have the responsibility and opportunity to help our entire church move into discipleship with us. Whether by communicating the opportunities to be equipped through a Bible Study or special event, or by making it as simple as possible to volunteer, give, or join a group, my day-to-day is spent making sure everyone can engage in discipleship here. Key to that is our increasing focus on Gospel Communities, the groups that are central to discipleship at TGP. While the investments are early, watch this space for increasing growth and change in our discipleship culture!
Our purpose is to be disciples and equip disciples.
From the front doors to elements of a Gathering, from our digital content and website to the prints and resources you hold in your hand, we have been putting our purpose front and center: be disciples and equip disciples. We have paired that focus with pathways and processes to help everyone engage, and we think we have seen early fruit of that focus as new groups have formed, studies have filled up quickly, and new volunteers have joined our ranks!
Scripturally Rooted.
Relationally Committed.
Sacrificially Minded.
Missionally Driven.
Our Gospel Communities have shown an incredible value of being Relationally Committed and hold great potential for increasing our entire church’s sense of being Missionally Driven.
Members of our church have increasingly invested in deepening relationships with one another and inviting new participants into those relationships. The richness of their sharing, care and support for one another, is incredible — disciples all across our church are walking together through challenges and joys, disputes, injuries, cancer, new births, loss of loved ones, and parenting. From surprise meals when they need it most, to wise counsel and prayerful support, the body of Christ is being the body toward one another.
But it’s also the increasing invitation to more parts of our church to join in: our existing GCs are so generous with their riches, helping new folks step into GCs, even breaking up some of their groups to multiply new groups with room for more! This fall, we host our first ever GC Connect that threw open a wide door for more and more folks to share in life in community and life on mission.
Next year, we want to strengthen in our value of being Missionally Driven. One of the great strengths of GCs is how they can engage neighbors, co-workers, and others who would not yet step foot into a church. Our GCs have the hunger, are asking the questions, and are leading the way in becoming everyday missionaries like Jesus intends us to be.
Life Change:
the result of being disciples and equipping disciples together
The most radical example of being a disciple is one’s willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Christ and others.
Multiple leaders in existing GCs have been so Sacrifically Minded with their time, their investment in one another, and their house and resources to practically enable that to happen! There is certainly challenge and inconvenience, yet they are joyfully serving one another in the midst of it.
And then even further, we have had several GC leaders prompt us to help them split up their existing group and multiply into new spaces so that new people can join in. They are putting people over their preferences, privileges, and comfort. They are welcoming others like Christ has welcomed us — and that is nothing short of incredible.
What does engagement look like?
GCs have been quietly operating in our church for the past couple years, and a faithful few have been training in how to be disciples and equip disciples through them. Their effort and investment has begun already to grow and multiply more disciples. With 14 groups gathering regularly outside our church, we are hopeful for more gains to come!
Because Gospel Communities are core to how we organize discipleship and mission at TGP, we next want to see 50% of our church engaged in GCs!